Apr. 2, 2013

Written by

The final shot for wrestling to remain a part of the Olympics in 2020 and 2024 is scheduled for the International Olympic Committee’s general assembly this September in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

An international coalition advocating for the sport, however, is hoping a Russian star can help improve chances in his native country next month.

Jim Scherr, a U.S. representative on the sports international governing body called FILA, said Tuesday that Alexander Karelin will be among the group of six presenters who will plead wrestling’s case to the IOC on May 29-30 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Karelin is the most recognized wrestler of his generation, winning 12 straight world or Olympic titles — with golds in Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) — before a stunning upset at the hands of U.S. Greco-Roman star Rulon Gardner at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia.

“This is absolutely critical,” Scherr said of the group that will include Karelin, who had a run of 13 years without a loss. “I don’t think we want to rely on core sport recommendation being rejected by IOC membership.”

The core sport recommendation materialized in February, when wrestling was excluded as one of 25 proposed core sports for the Olympics in 2020 and ’24.

The move forced wrestling to lobby against seven other sports for a recommendation as a provisional sport during next month’s meeting. That group, which Scherr said could be up to three or four sports, then will be better positioned to land the 26th and final slot for that next Olympic cycle.

The final three spots are yet to be decided, Scherr said, but a priority will be placed on showing the sport’s international appeal — meaning other countries are sure to represented.

Topics wrestling leaders are likely to address, Scherr said, are plans to better market and promote the sport, along with improved gender-equity balance. The group also will remind IOC officials of FILA’s change in leadership after Nenad Lalovich replaced ousted Swiss businessman Raphael Martinetti.

Scherr, former chief executive of the U.S. Olympic Committee who placed fifth in freestyle wrestling at the 1988 Games, said new rules for the sport also will be finalized and explained at the Russia meeting.

“The goal is to make the rules more simply understood by the spectator, more appealing to the spectator and more fair to the athletes,” Scheer said.

Two provisional sports already are locked into the 2020 and ’24 Olympics — golf and rubgy.

==== MEANWHILE, A CHAMPIONS WAITS ====

Jordan Burroughs won a freestyle wrestling gold medal last August, but wonders if he’ll only have one shot to repeat.

Burroughs said he plans to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — but will be forced to sit back and find out if the sport’s premier event exists in 2020 and beyond.

“Yeah, 2020 was definitely still on the table in my mind,” Burroughs said. “I hope I’m in position to even make that decision when the time comes. If the Olympics aren’t an option after 2016, I’ll definitely move on (from the sport).

“It’s just a waiting game right now.”

Burroughs said winning gold was “way bigger than myself” and the response has floored him.

His Twitter account — @alliseeisgold — is nearly five times larger than before he won in London. He also heard from a range of people, famous and otherwise.

“Actor Samuel L. Jackson tweeted to me,” Burroughs said. “He’s a huge Olympics fan, I guess. Anyway, that was pretty cool. Maybe I should have tried for a cameo in his next movie. It’s a little odd when I meet Shaq or Allison Felix and they’re like, ‘Man, you want to take a picture with me?’ ”

“And every day, I’m getting pictures of kids, drawings, photos, requests for school projects, research papers. There were kids dressing up as me from Halloween — a variety of craziness.”

Read about the reaction of Iranian wrestling fans — including the country’s president — when Burroughs won a recent World Cup event in Tehran … HERE.

Here’s the gold-clinching match for Burroughs:

And here’s his post-gold medal press conference …

==== PROJECT IDEAS ====

Return to the “Wrestling’s Olympic Fight” page from now until the IOC’s final vote for continued coverage of the story.

For coverage ideas, to submit videos or other content, etc., contact me at … brmiller@dmreg.com